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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 8 · Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations · 24 chapters

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How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
  2. 2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
  3. 3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
  4. 4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
  5. 5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
  6. 6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.
Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›
Canto 8 · Chapter 16: Executing the Payo-vrata Process of Worship
8.16.178.16.19

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 8.16.18

Ūti· What drives us to act
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 8.16.18inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीशुक उवाच

एवमभ्यर्थितोऽदित्या कस्तामाह स्मयन्निव ।

अहो मायाबलं विष्णो: स्‍नेहबद्धमिदं जगत् ॥ १८ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca

evam abhyarthito ’dityā

kas tām āha smayann iva

aho māyā-balaṁ viṣṇoḥ

sneha-baddham idaṁ jagat

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: When Kaśyapa Muni was thus requested by Aditi, he slightly smiled. “Alas,” he said, “how powerful is the illusory energy of Lord Viṣṇu, by which the entire world is bound by affection for children!”

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Recognizing the Power of Family Attachment

  1. 1

    Kaśyapa Muni slightly smiled when Aditi made her request. The purport says he was certainly sympathetic to her affliction.

  2. 2

    Yet he was surprised at how the whole world is influenced by affection.

  3. 3

    He described Lord Viṣṇu's illusory energy as powerful. Through it, the entire world is bound by affection for children.

Key points from the purport
  • Kaśyapa Muni was surely sympathetic to his wife’s affliction, yet he was surprised at how the whole world is influenced by affection.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

How it feels

Loss and hope → Revelation. A shift in fortune sets up a spiritual test.

Chapters 15–18 of Canto 8: Bali, Aditi and Vāmana's appearance. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 16: Executing the Payo-vrata Process of Worship

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

She then requested him to tell her how her sons could return and reoccupy their positions. She wanted all good fortune for her sons.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 8.16
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-śukaḥ uvācaŚrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
  2. evamin this way
  3. abhyarthitaḥbeing requested
  4. adityāby Aditi
  5. kaḥKaśyapa Muni
  6. tāmunto her
  7. āhasaid
  8. smayansmiling
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Ūti · The creative impetus

    Why do we act, and what keeps us bound? · Subject 5 of 10

  • Vātsalya · Parental affection

    Affection and protective concern for the Lord as a child. · Theme in SB 8.16

    In this verse: “children”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How does affection for my family influence the way I see their difficulties?

Practice

Pause over one family concern today and notice how affection shapes your response.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayRecognizing the Power of Family AttachmentThis verse's lesson: one practice and one question for today

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.

Ask the BhāgavatamHave a question about SB 8.16.18? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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